Buon Ma Thuot

Buon Ma Thuot Overview

Buon Ma Thuot is probably not famous like other destinations in Vietnam like Ho Chi Minh city or Hanoi. However, we must say it is worth visiting. This city belongs to Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands, which is about 360 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh city. So far, this city only draws a few travellers as it is still off the beaten track.

Though Buon Ma Thuot is small, it is still a hustling and bustling city. In addition, it is home to various ethnic minorities such as the Rhade and Jarai people.  Historically, it used to be the site of the last big confrontation between the South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese armies back in the year of 1975. It is not wrong to say, Buon Ma Thuot managed to emerge from the war-torn roots and turn into a sprawling and bustling capital city of Dak Lak.

One more thing to say is that today, Buon Ma Thuot is well known for its tasteful and delicious coffee. Not to mention, it also prospers from the fertile soil that produces minerals, clay, and rubber.

Buon Ma Thuot Map

Buon Ma Thuot Vietnam – All You Need to Know

Buon Ma Thuot Attractions

We must say what Buon Ma Thuot does offer is the easy access to the attractions in the immediate area. That’s also the reason why this city is known as a good base for outdoor trips and excursions.

Beautiful waterfalls are among the most famous attractions in Buon Ma Thuot. Some recommended waterfalls include Dray Sap, Dray Nur, and Gia Long, which can be found in an evergreen rainforest.

Another must-see attraction is Yok Don National Park, one of the largest nature reserves in Vietnam. Here travellers can have chance to see rare animals and birds, along with other endangered species.

Other attractions in Buon Ma Thuot include the Lak Lake and Ban Don Village. While the former provides a tranquil scene that people can witness the Vietnamese rural living, the latter is a village that is famous for the tribal architecture.

Buon Ma Thuot Restaurants & Dining

Seeking a comfortable dining place in Buon Ma Thuot is a bit challenging; however, the quest proves to be rewarding to those trying.

Notably, Ninh Hoa is a signature dish in this city, which is a combination of meat and vegetables which are all wrapped in the rice paper and soaked in the peanut sauce.

You can find this yummy dish in Ly Thuong Kiet street, next to the area of affordable hotels. Also, there are many other places serving noodles like Quan Com Tieu Linh in Hung Vuong.

Another feature of Buon Ma Thuot dining scene is that Western food is scarce in the city. However, if you want, you can go to Hai Ba Trung which offers English menu with various dishes cooked with a Western twist.

Buon Ma Thuot Nightlife

In fact, Buon Ma Thuot is not an ideal place for exciting nightlife activities. You should not expect pubs, clubs or bar in this city. There are no pulsing beats, live music, and disco lights here.

The city is still in the rural area, so it is not lively at night. Nevertheless, you can find some night-time addresses, though they may not fit typical nightlife scene.

You can consider The Forget Me Not Café which is quiet on days but it becomes busier at nights. This is because of the karaoke sessions taking place from 19:00 to 22:00 every night.

In addition, you can try bia hoi at cheap prices on Quang Trung Street.

Buon Ma Thuot Shopping

In Buon Ma Thuot, there are not diverse shopping options. So it can let travellers who expect to see a variety of merchandise down. However, as coffee is the most famous produce of Buon Ma Thuot, it becomes the key community. You can find coffee everywhere in the city in various forms such as coffee beans, ground coffee, and ready-to-drink ones.

In addition, if you want to find souvenirs, you can buy replicas of M’Nong-styled jugs, which are a cool souvenir. They are used by hill tribes to contain whiskey. However, you should note that they are quite difficult to carry along with you.

Buon Ma Thuot Weather – Best time to visit

Buon Ma Thuot features typical tropical climate with two main seasons including rainy season and dry season. While the city undergoes rainy season from the Month of May to October, it experiences dry weather between November and April.

Though Buon Ma Thuot landscapes are enchanting during the months of rainfall, lack of infrastructure and the commuting difficult probably hinder you from enjoying your trip.

That’s why the best time to visit Buon Ma Thuot is from November to April. In addition, during these months, there is one of famous celebrations in the city, drawing much attention of local tourists and foreigners – The Coffee Festival.

Buon Ma Thuot – Where to stay

As Buon Ma Thuot is the capital of coffee, it welcomes a quite big number of tourists every year. Thereby, the demand for accommodations is increasingly higher in this city. It is known that it is offering more options for tourists from affordable segment to high-end one.

We have compiled a list of top best places for you stay in Buon Ma Thuot below:

• Dakruco Hotel
• Hotel An Nhien
• Muong Thanh Luxury Buon Ma Thuot Hotel
• Hung Vuong Hotel
• Lys Hotel
• Sai Gon Ban Me Hotel
• Thanh Mai Hotel
• AEC Hotel Ban Me
• Dam San Hotel

Hoang Loc Hotel

Buon Ma Thuot Itinerary for Ideal days?

Tourists often visit Buon Ma Thuot in a tour of Kon Tum – Buon Ma Thuot. Regularly, this tour lasts about 4 days 3 nights so that travellers can fully enjoy all the beauty here.

Below is our suggested itinerary for your consideration.

Day 1: Arrive in Kon Tum

You will need to move to Kon Tum and check-in your hotel. Then you will have a short tour around city including seeing a unique cathedral and visiting a village of Bahnar people.

Day 2: Trekking 

On this day, you will move to Konkotu village to go trekking through local villages, cassava plantations, and rivers. We highly recommend you to take this activity.

Day 3: Kon Tum – Buon Ma Thuot

In the morning, you should visit Jarai ethnic village to know about its unusual burial custom of this minority. Then you can go to Lak Lake through coffee plantations.

Day 4: Buon Ma Thuot – Departure

Before coming back to your home, you can take a dugout canoe ride or an elephant trek through villages here.